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A wandering soul with sociological imagination

Middle East needs truly secular governance

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By IQRA ANUGRAH
Special to The Japan Times
BEPPU, Oita Pref. — The march for secularism held on April 26 in Lebanon focused attention on the country and the region’s conflicts and battle of values. Thousands of Lebanese from various social backgrounds — Shiite, Sunni, Maronite and more — took to the streets and marched to the national parliament in Beirut to demand a secular state.

Lebanese have a deep-rooted distrust of state-endorsed consociationalism. In this system, religious authority comes first before the state. As a consequence, being a Lebanese in Lebanon is not just a matter of citizenship. The first question that comes to mind when Lebanese meet is “what is your sect?” without considering the fact that all citizens are equal before the law and have equal rights guaranteed by the constitution.

However, collusion between short-sighted religious leaders and corrupt politicians makes implementing the mandate of the constitution difficult. The sectarian system has turned Lebanon, once dubbed the Paris of the Middle East, into a battlefield of civil wars driven by geopolitical interests between conflicting parties in the region.

This is the result of having ethno-religious interests at the front rank, surpassing the need to maintain national unity. Rather than defining a national and multicultural identity, Lebanon has chosen the wrong path and is trapped in a frenzy of identity politics. With this mindset, the selfish tendency for “us” and not for “them” emerged among Lebanese.

Thus, the battle for identity, authority and “singularization” of the country began. Ignoring the reality of a melting-pot society, intolerance grew, which angered the citizens and drove them into the streets to demand equal rights.

The Middle East was once an historically-conscious society where differences were not opposed but respected and celebrated. Albert Hourani, a leading Lebanese-British scholar, illustrated this phenomenon in his classical text “Arabic Thought in the Liberal Age.”

From 1798 to 1939, though the Arabian Peninsula was colonized by European powers, Arab culture enjoyed a high degree of tolerance and equality among the different layers and backgrounds of society. Islamic enlightenment, which was rooted in the region, had a place in the Middle East and combined with new ideas from Europe.

Intellectuals, both Muslim and non-Muslim, ranging from the devout Muhammad Abduh to the secular Taha Hussein, were free to express their opinions and ideas. Discourse over the identity and future of society was dynamic and vibrant, and was brought into practice by the endorsement of political establishments at the time.

But after that the secular administrations of Arab countries failed to manage the economy of newly-independent states, implemented authoritarian methods to maintain power, while at the same time struggled to promote the livelihood of the people. This absence of democratic participation left no room for citizens to have their voices heard.

The only choice open to them was religion, and with the help of chaotic Western foreign policies in the region, militant Islamism rose onto the stage, which has meant that making a sober choice between corruption of the state or delusion from religious fanatics much more difficult.

The consequences have been miserable. Taha Husein’s hope of a modern, Western-friendly Egypt is now far from reality. Lebanon’s achievements in finance and tourism have also dissapeared, replaced by prolonged conflict.

The next task is to watch this civic movement in Lebanon. The sentiment should not be taken for granted because it’s a real desire for change. First and foremost, the state should know its role in society, especially in the context of a multicultural Lebanon. If the state does not know its role in society it will face a big problem. In other words, the state must be able to differentiate between its domain and the domain of citizens. When states regulate things that are beyond its mandate it creates a problematic situation in society.

Government should take care of the people’s welfare, build roads and infrastructure, and help the economy, and not be concerned with one’s religion, ethnicity or any other identity markers.

If the government insists on intervening in people’s lives and doesn’t protect their rights than it’s not a fully-functioning government. It’s simply a dysfunctional state. The Middle East desperately needs effective and efficient governments that treat everyone equally. By committing itself to this principle, Lebanon might regain its status as a home for peaceful coexistence between peoples and religions and send a message to the Middle East and the world.

Iqra Anugrah, a third-year student at the College of Asia Pacific Studies, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan, is active in various Islamic and student groups.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/eo20100518a1.html

Lifesaving dialogue past due between Islamic world and West

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By IQRA ANUGRAH
Special to The Japan Times

BEPPU, Oita Pref. — The relationship between the West and the Islamic world is worrisome. Recent events in Western and Muslim countries show the tension between these two civilizations.

Last year the Swiss People’s Party, backed by a popular referendum, proposed a construction ban on mosque minarets. In neighboring France, the rising fear of Islamization has been reflected in the political debate on prohibitions against wearing the burqa. In the Netherlands, far-right politician Geert Wilders and his Freedom Party gained a significant number of votes in recent local elections.

Meanwhile, in Indonesia, thousands of sympathizers attended the burial of Dulmatin, the suspected terrorist, and the planned visit of U.S. President Barack Obama was criticized by Hizbut Tahrir, who argued that Obama is a colonizer and war criminal.

Why are these things happening?

It is true that Obama decided to increase the number of American troops in Afghanistan and that terrorist groups keep mushrooming, but does it mean there is no room left for dialogue?

The problem is mind-sets. First of all, both sides mistakenly adopt binary logic in their policymaking. This logic leads to a black-and-white, right-or-wrong perspective: One is either with us or with them. Consequently each side triggers fear toward the other. The ultimate manifestation of this belief is hatred and the desire to conquer the other.

Differences are seen as threats that deserve to be excluded and, if necessary, extinguished. Most people in the West and Islamic world aspire to and share similar basic needs. This reality, however, is diluted by the rise of rightwing populism in the West and extreme conservatism in the Muslim world.

Although these conflicting sides seem very different, they share the same need to exploit fear toward the other. They also make tactical use of populist jargon to target and grab the attention of the lower and middle classes — those who have a say in daily politics.

Unfortunately their rhetoric and activities bring both sides excessive media attention. They work hard to keep the spotlight and dominate public discourse about what society should be like.

The situation today is especially ironic when we consider that Islamic and Western societies contributed so much to the development of human civilization in the past. When the age of darkness and close-mindedness prevailed in the West, Muslims were working to enlighten the world with their culture of tolerance, openness and freedom of thought.

Thanks to the efforts of Islamic scholars and intellectuals, the great works of classical Greek philosophers and the introduction of Aristotelian logic triggered enlightenment, liberating the minds of Western citizens who had been oppressed by the state or religion.

Ibn Rushd (commonly known in the West as Averroes), a devout Muslim philosopher and jurist, is considered the father of secular modern thought. He is famous for the idea that the peaceful coexistence of religion and philosophy, faith and reason is the way to God: To move forward, we need to promote a culture of tolerance, openness and freedom.

As the West started to grasp and accept humanist principles of enlightenment, the Islamic world took a backward step by closing doors to reason and inquiry. The situation became more chaotic as shortsighted Western foreign policies focused more on political and economic expansion than on promotion of human values and cooperation.

More problems arose with the appearance of populist politicians and violent groups with neither the historical consciousness nor willingness for dialogue.

What should we do then?

Franklin D. Roosevelt, one of the most influential American presidents, was correct when he said the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Fear paralyzes and prevents us from thinking rationally. To prevent the plague of narrow-mindedness and feelings of inferiority, we must not let ourselves be trapped by illogical paranoia.

Practically speaking, mental, intellectual and spiritual reform should translate into sound foreign and security policies. The failures of Western foreign policy should remind us that waging war is no longer an option. We must bring antiwar politics to the fore of discourse, and change it into cooperation-based tactics of moderation, to promote democratization in the Muslim world.

Counterterrorism measures are the key to making this policy work. Instead of shooting terrorists dead, we must bring suspects into court and subject them to official judgments so that society can see their mistakes. Education plays an important role. Schools and universities should be the place to foster tolerance and cooperation so that our children can interact with each other and respect different cultures and opinions.

We must stop acting as a silent majority. Moderate and progressive voices of Western and Islamic communities must unite and show to the world the real face of civilized and mature societies. We should convince the world that many avenues still exist for dialogue. After all, we know whom to blame for the current mess: Western and Islamic hardline conservatism.

Iqra Anugrah, a third-year student at College of Asia Pacific Studies, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan, is active in various Islamic and student groups.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/eo20100328a1.html

Demokrasi tanpa Demokrat

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DEMOKRASI TANPA DEMOKRAT
Iqra Anugrah
MAHASISWA DI COLLEGE OF ASIA-PACIFIC STUDIES, RITSUMEIKAN ASIA-PACIFIC UNIVERSITY

Masa depan demokrasi di Indonesia sedang berada dalam fase yang amat genting. Beberapa tahun yang lalu kita kehilangan Cak Nur, dan belum lama ini kita kehilangan Gus Dur. Ketiadaan dua figur yang selalu berkomitmen dan membela demokrasi serta nilai-nilai demokratik itu seakan-akan menambah panjang daftar ujian bagi bangsa ini. Berbagai skandal dan permasalahan politik, mulai kasus Bank Century, masalah internal KPK, pengemplangan pajak oleh aktor-aktor bisnis, hingga pembakaran rumah ibadah, seakan-akan menyiratkan masa depan yang suram bagi demokrasi di Indonesia. Hal ini menyiratkan pertanyaan yang besar bagi kita semua: adakah masa depan demokrasi di Indonesia? Apa yang terjadi ketika sistem demokratik yang kita terapkan sekarang ternyata belum mampu membawa kesejahteraan dan keadilan?

Fenomena ini merupakan bagian dari menjamurnya demokrasi illiberal. Mengutip Fareed Zakaria, demokrasi illiberal merupakan demokrasi tanpa nilai. Demokrasi seakan-akan hanya dipahami sebagai prosedur elektoral saja. Akibatnya, demokrasi hanya diartikan sebagai cara untuk memperoleh legitimasi melalui proses pemilu. Padahal, demokrasi tidak sama dengan pemilu.

Dalam suatu sistem politik yang demokratik, ada satu persyaratan lagi yang menjadi keniscayaan, yaitu semangat konstitusionalisme atau republikanisme. Dalam konteks suatu republik konstitusional, nilai-nilai yang menjadi landasan utama adalah kebebasan dan keadilan. Prinsip-prinsip ini kemudian diterjemahkan ke dalam berbagai konsepsi legal-politik seperti supremasi hukum, pengakuan terhadap hak asasi manusia, penghormatan terhadap kepemilikan pribadi, dan perlindungan minoritas. Demokrasi dan kebebasan konstitusional, menurut Zakaria, adalah dua sisi dari mata uang yang sama. Menerapkan demokrasi hanya dalam taraf pemilihan umum saja adalah reduksi dari arti demokrasi itu sendiri.

Gejala demokrasi tanpa nilai itulah yang sepertinya sedang menjalar di Indonesia. Berbagai permasalahan politik yang kita hadapi sesungguhnya adalah tantangan dan ujian bagi demokrasi itu sendiri. Dalam demokrasi yang kurang nilai, kebebasan dan keadilan publik senantiasa terancam, dan proses politik menjadi tidak berbeda jauh dari sandiwara atau komedi. Karena itu, tidak aneh apabila sekarang masyarakat dihadapkan pada berbagai fenomena sosial-politik yang unik, dari merebaknya fundamentalisme keagamaan hingga ulah para politikus di gedung parlemen yang mirip dagelan, yang ironis karena justru terjadi di era demokrasi. Politik telah kehilangan maknanya, dari usaha kolektif individual tiap-tiap warga negara untuk mencapai tujuan yang lebih baik menjadi hajatan elektoral tahunan yang tanpa nilai dan sopan santun atau fatsun.

Bagi sebuah bangsa dengan umur demokrasi yang masih “seumur jagung” seperti Indonesia, kejadian ini bisa membawa sebuah krisis demokrasi. Rakyat yang senantiasa dihadapkan pada, dan “diikutsertakan” dalam, drama politik yang tanpa ujung, terutama melalui media, dapat menjadi apatis dan enggan untuk berpartisipasi dalam politik. Tentu saja apatisme ini tidaklah sehat bagi demokrasi, yang memerlukan partisipasi aktif dari warga negaranya.

Menyelamatkan demokrasi
Menemukan jejak demokrasi dalam tradisi politik Indonesia bukanlah suatu hal yang jarang. Adalah Bung Hatta, salah satu dari dwitunggal proklamator kemerdekaan, yang menyadari bahwa demokrasi bukanlah suatu proses pemilihan dan pergantian semata, tapi juga memiliki esensi yang bahkan lebih dalam. Tugas bagi bangsa ini sekarang adalah mengedepankan nilai dan budaya yang menjadi prasyarat bagi tumbuh-kembangnya demokrasi di Indonesia. Kita memerlukan apresiasi terhadap nilai-nilai kebebasan, keadilan, dan keterbukaan.

Karena itu, dalam level masyarakat, demokrasi tidak cukup jika diartikan hanya sebagai suara mayoritas (majority rule), namun juga perlindungan terhadap minoritas dan lebih penting lagi individual dan perbedaan. Kisah perusakan gereja di beberapa daerah di Indonesia akhir-akhir ini haruslah mendapat perhatian yang pantas dari setiap elemen masyarakat dan pemerintah.

Bagi politikus dan pembuat kebijakan, nilai demokratik sepatutnya juga diterjemahkan dalam perilaku sehari-hari, baik di luar maupun di dalam parlemen. Sikap pemerintah akhir-akhir ini, baik lembaga eksekutif dan kepresidenan maupun parlemen, sayangnya tidak mencerminkan semangat tersebut. Hiruk-pikuk anggota DPR di Pansus Century maupun posisi reaksioner Presiden menanggapi demonstran yang membawa kerbau adalah satu bukti nyata bagaimana nilai-nilai demokrasi, kemampuan komunikasi publik, dan etika berpolitik masih merupakan hal yang langka di republik ini.

Menanggapi dinamika politik di Indonesia, tugas bangsa ini ke depan adalah menjaga dan memperkuat demokrasi. Seperti kemerdekaan Indonesia, demokrasi adalah manifestasi dari kebebasan atau free will manusia. Dalam konteks kenegaraan, membela demokrasi adalah membela kebebasan dan hak-hak warga negara. Demokrasi haruslah diperjuangkan. Dan untuk memperjuangkan demokrasi, dibutuhkan komitmen terhadap nilai-nilai demokratik sekaligus orang-orang yang bersedia memperjuangkan prinsip tersebut. Demokrasi hanya akan berhasil jika ia ditopang oleh prinsip-prinsip konstitusionalisme republikan dan politikus-politikus demokratik. Demokrasi tanpa demokrat, seperti yang kita miliki sekarang, hanya akan berujung pada mobokrasi dan lawakan politik yang terinstitusionalisasi.

http://www.korantempo.com/korantempo/koran/2010/03/06/Opini/krn.20100306.193048.id.html
http://epaper.korantempo.com/KT/KT/2010/03/06/INDEX.SHTML
http://bataviase.co.id/node/119828

Democracies that lack liberty

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Democracies that lack liberty

By IQRA ANUGRAH
Special to The Japan Times

BEPPU, Oita Pref. — Around the world, our generation is witnessing the three Ds: deregulation, decentralization and, ultimately, democratization. The export of democracy is no doubt one of the most important items on the Western foreign policy agenda. Nevertheless, the effort seems to bring more failures than successes. Why is that?

To the Western mind, liberty and democracy are two sides of the same coin. Without liberty, there can be no democracy, and vice versa. However, in non-Western societies, this is not always true. Just pick an Asian country at random and we find anomalies in democratic practice by the Western point of view.

News commentator Fareed Zakaria calls this phenomenon “illiberal democracy,” a mixture of authoritarian and conservative practices under the framework of electoral, democratic politics. That’s why strong guys remain powerful in some countries, such as Vladimir Putin in Russia and Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore.

The Islamic world provides many examples of these illiberal practices. Go to Egypt and you’ll see how President Hosni Mubarak and his comrades put so much effort in getting rid of the Muslim Brotherhood. Go to Indonesia and you’ll see how corruption is still rampant and how political Islam and local vigilantes work together in harmony to form the so-called unholy alliance.

From those examples, there is one common similarity: the lack or absence of some aspects of civil and political liberty. Elections and change of political leadership may take place, but the ones who take governmental positions are far from democratic in attitude. Populist autocrats use the democratic mechanism to win political positions and legitimacy from the people.

In reality, they aren’t democrats at all. Once they get into power, they abuse it, implement illiberal policies and, even worse, try to get rid of their adversaries.

This is exactly what happened after the breakdown of Yugoslavia. Extreme nationalists, filled with hatred toward one other, got elected in Serbia, which later tried to wipe out the Kosovar Albanian population. In newly democratized Indonesia, we see how Islamic fundamentalist groups misuse the principle of free speech in a democratic society, attacking dissenting opinions while trying to promote an intolerant agenda toward “the other.”

Responding to this phenomenon, we know that the existence of liberty is the necessary element for democracy. In Zakaria’s words, without constitutional liberalism, the rule of law, protection of property and respect for others, it is difficult to build a fully functioning democracy. Western policymakers often forget that to build a democratic society, we need more than an election.

Instead of fixing the economy, ensuring the rule of law and protecting minorities, they straightaway jump to organizing elections. It is true that an election is probably the most visible indicator of a democratic society, but most of us don’t want to see the electoral process end up in a “mobocracy” due to the absence of supportive cultural values for democracy.

We see the answer to this problem in the Western philosophy of Tocqueville and Machiavelli: Unregulated democracy will undermine people’s liberty. Under republican principles, citizens are free when they follow the law. If there is no law, there will be no liberty. Liberal democracy requires the active participation of law-abiding citizens in the political process. This translates not only into rule of the majority but also into respect toward minorities.

Another important aspect in sustaining democratic politics is justice. This is what Noam Chomsky means when he criticizes the gap between rich and poor citizens in the United States. In Chomskian terms, the economic structure is not democratic.

John Rawls also gives the same argument, saying that when certain rules and regulations are not in the line with the public perception of justice values, they should not be called regulations. The Chomskian and Rawlsian mantra of justice provides the solution to how democratic society should work.

When economic disparity widens, the state should be prepared to do something about it. Thus, in order to “export” and implement democracy, elections and parties alone won’t do. We need effective and efficient institutions, sound public policy, fair laws and regulations, and, above all, a culture of liberty and justice.

In the context of non-Western societies, that’s why it is important to have liberty and equality before democracy. Radical deregulation and decentralization might not be the best answer for transforming society. That does not mean the three Ds should be discouraged, but that the much wiser option is to implement a gradual-type of political reform.

Western decision makers should take this principle to heart. The failure of Western ways in the Middle East is a clear example of ill-preparation for the democratization project. Values come first, followed by structures. If we stick to the same old approach, it’s very likely that we will see another Afghanistan or Pakistan in the near future.

*Iqra Anugrah, a third-year student at the College of Asia Pacific Studies, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, sits on the advisory board for the Strategic Studies Committee of Indonesian Students’ Association in Japan. The views expressed here are his own and do not necessarily represent the views of his organization.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/eo20100222a1.html

Islam’s Place in Politics

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Islam’s place in politics

By IQRA ANUGRAH
Special to The Japan Times

BEPPU, Oita Prefecture — The dynamics of Islam and politics in Indonesia are always worth following. Conventional wisdom says that moderates rule the game. In reality, this is not always true.

Sadanand Dhume, an expert on Islam and Indonesia, recently wrote an article arguing that the moderate is not always the winner. The myth of the moderate Muslim nation has started to change in the post-Suharto reformation era.

Political and economic liberalization has taken place, but not for religious and cultural values. We have had a number of improvements in civil and political freedom, but not in religious freedom. Islamic conservatism and fundamentalism are still widespread, as the battle of values goes on.

Living according to a strict interpretation of Islam in its early days is considered the new utopia. The call for shariah (Islamic law) is proffered as a panacea for our problems. This is not news. Religious interpretation is only the pull factor; the push factor is the daily experience of struggling to maintain a livelihood.

In this situation, religion is hardly distinguishable from delusion. Moreover, corrupted political elites often see it as an opportunity to get more votes, which makes the situation worse. That’s why we see some people trying to justify the establishment of religious bylaws, terrorism and other intolerant actions in the name of religion. Bombings in Jakarta and Aceh legislation allowing punishment by stoning are two recent examples of this phenomenon.

Tensions between the desire to maintain secular, democratic government and the growing force of Islamism present an important question: Is there any place for Islam in politics? We should know that enemy conservatives might be the bad guys, but not all of them are dangerous. As commentator Fareed Zakaria has said, radical Islam is a fact of life.

Our task now is learning how to live with that. It is very important to differentiate and categorize “conservative” and “radical,” since one is different from the other. Some groups might be conservative in matters of religion and culture, while their means of voicing their agenda are nonviolent and nonradical.

Dealing with someone from the FPI (Islamic Defender Front) or Hizbut Tahrir, for instance, is not the same as dealing with someone from Jamaah Tabligh. The government should recognize these differences so as not to become trapped by illogical paranoia. With such a policy, we can hope that these groups will learn from their own mistakes by entering democratic politics and engaging in real political debate. In such a case, the moderate voice matters — to show conservatives that Islam and democracy are much alike.

The message of the late Nurcholish Madjid now sounds stronger than ever. As there are many paths to God, there are many places for Islam in politics. In Cak Nur’s view, there is no absolute interpretation of politics, since Islam is not a particular ideology or political view, but rather a set of values and ethics for humanity. Thus any attempt to politicize Islam will reduce the meaning of Islam itself.

The legacy of the golden age of Islam and the moderate spirit must be championed all the time. As the church in the Western world has failed to maintain its hegemony due to its political intervention, political Islam should learn how to promote its ideas and survive within the framework of electoral democratic politics.

Moderate and progressive voices of Islam need to build alliances and spread their message through all levels of Indonesian society. The Indonesian government should promote moderate and tolerant ideas by working together with progressive groups.

The government should also stem the widespread trend of fundamentalism and radicalism in society through various educational means and institutions. As history has taught us, Islam and Indonesia will exist and contribute to humanity only within the environment of openness and tolerance toward one other.

The future of Islam and Indonesia depends on their ability to interact with other cultures and civilizations in the secular world. That is the only solution to the problem of inward-looking behavior in the Islamic community. We have the answer; they don’t.

*Iqra Anugrah, an activist in various student and Islamic movements in Indonesia, is a third-year student at College of Asia Pacific Studies, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/eo20100115a1.html

Rektor di Jepang ‘Diwisuda’ Mahasiswa Indonesia

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Beppu – Tak heran jika setiap kelulusannya, para mahasiswa diwisuda oleh sang rektor. Namun berbeda dari biasanya, seorang rektor Universitas di Jepang ‘diwisuda’ oleh para mahasiswanya. Salah seorang mahasiswa itu berasal dari Indonesia.

Mantan rektor Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) Professor Monte Cassim baru saja menyelesaikan masa baktinya memimpin universitas, ia pun ‘diwisuda’ para mahasiswanya.

“Bagi kami, ini merupakan suatu kesempatan yang langka dan kehormatan yang besar untuk dapat ‘mewisuda’ seorang rektor,” kata Mahasiswa S1 APU asal Indonesia, Iqra Anugrah dalam rilis yang diterima detikcom, Kamis (18/3/2010).

Bersama dengan 2 mahasiswa asal Nepal, Iqra yang aktif dalam koran mahasiswa, The APU Times, menyerahkan diploma kepada sang rektor. Iqra juga membacakan ijazah lelaki asal Sri Langka itu di depan 1.000 orang di aula B-Con Plaza, tempat upacara berlangsung di Kota Beppu, Prefektur Oita, Jepang.

“Ini merupakan sebuah kehormatan bagi saya. Seringkali kita tidak menyadari betapa murid-murid kita mengajari kita banyak hal,” balas haru sang Professor Cassim yang sekarang menjabat sebagai Vice-Chancellor the Ritsumeikan Trust.

Prosesi ‘wisuda’ itu pada awalnya tidak direncanakan. Awalnya upacara itu hanya ditujukan untuk mahasiswa yang lulus pada bulan maret 2010. Namun di akhir penghujung upacara, MC menyebutkan ada sebuah kejutan untuk rektor yang baru menyelesaikan masa baktinya.

Professor Cassim sendiri juga tidak asing lagi dengan Indonesia. Casim pernah melakukan berbagai proyek strategis untuk badan dunia PBB di Indonesia dan memberikan banyak dukungan dalam aktifitas akademik dan non akademik bagi mahasiswa Indonesia di APU.

(amd/fay)

http://us.detiknews.com/read/2010/03/18/095756/1320092/10/rektor-di-jepang-diwisuda-mahasiswa-indonesia

APU Students win 2010 FCCJ Swadesh DeRoy Scholarship Awards

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APU Students win 2010 FCCJ Swadesh DeRoy Scholarship Awards:
2010/5/5 17:40:12 (1502 reads)
On Friday, April 9, two APU students attended the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) 2010 Swadesh DeRoy Scholarship Award Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony in Tokyo. Iqra Anugrah (APS 3, Indonesia) won a Distinguished Runner Up prize while HANS Nicholas (APS 4, Indonesia) won an Honorable Mention.


HANS Nicholas (APS 4, Indonesia)

The Swadesh DeRoy Scholarship was created to support university undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in journalism and requires students to submit an essay, video or photo entry based on a common theme. This year’s theme was “NEW MEDIA versus OLD MEDIA: What Japanese youth think about the future of news in newspapers, TV and the internet”.

Winning 50,000yen and 25,000yen book vouchers respectively, essays submitted by Iqra Anugrah and Hans NICHOLAS competed against students from prestigious universities around Japan and the world including Tokyo University, Temple University and The University of Leeds.

Looking back on their success, Hans NICHOLAS and Iqra Anugrah, said, “We were so glad to receive this award from the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan – one of the most respected organisations in Japanese journalism. As the only participants from Kyushu, we were proud to compete against students from around the world and this award confirms our belief that APU has an enormous pool of talent that can make positive contributions to our society. We hope that we can continue to work in this field in the near future”.

These achievements by Iqra Anugrah and Hans NICHOLAS add to a string of recent essay contest achievements by APU students including SUZUKI Tamao’s (APS4, Japan), IKENAGA Sosuke (APM4, Japan) and LEE Hee-Woon (APS4, Korea).

Please click here for more information on the Swadesh DeRoy Scholarship Award


Iqra Anugrah (APS 3, Indonesia)

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APU Students Participate in Economic Talk

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APU Students Participate in G4 “Economic Talk” Symposium in Tokyo:
2010/5/6 10:46:47 (1283 reads)

n March 22-27, 2010, three APU international students participated in the Iuventum G4 Economic Talk symposium in Tokyo. APU Students Arisyi Fariza Raz (APM4, Indonesia), Tamarind Puri Khiranti Indra (APM4, Indonesia) and Iqra Anugrah (APS3, Indonesia) participated in the 6 day program and discussed a range of global issues and from the youth perspective with other students from universities in the G4 nations of China, Japan, the USA and Germany.

Dealing with various economic-related topics, such as globalization, regionalism and health issues, the APU students showed their skills in the panel discussion sessions, working alongside other participants from prestigious universities around Japan and abroad such as Tokyo University and Waseda University.

During the conference, the participants also had the opportunity to hear from representatives of the automobile industry including Toyota and Volkswagen who spoke of their efforts to reduce Co2 emissions and the introduction of environmentally friendly technology in response to global warming. At the end of the conference, a joint communiqué was presented by the participants and included policy recommendations for predicted challenges in the year 2020.

Looking back on the talks, Iqra Anugrah (APS3, Indonesia) commented, “The conference was so exciting and I learnt many new things. I particularly enjoyed discussing and exchanging ideas on recent global economic issues with so many students from many of the outstanding universities in Japan.”

Supporters of this event include the G8 Youth Summit Japan, the German-Japanese Youth Society and the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies.

Reporter, Student Press Assistant (SPA): Raz Arisyi Fariza (APM3, Indonesia)

News : APU Students and RCAPS conduct the “Seminar of Indonesia”

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News : APU Students and RCAPS conduct the “Seminar of Indonesia”:
2010/2/19 14:20:20 (731 reads)

n Saturday, February 6, 2010, the “Seminar of Indonesia” RCAPS* Seminar was held under the theme “Observing Today’s Indonesia, a Projection into The Future”. Organized primarily by APU students, this seminar invited prominent scholars of Indonesian studies to engage in a panel discussion on the future of Indonesia including Professor at the Waseda University Faculty of International Liberal Studies, Director of the Clinical Education and Science Research Institute, Dr. Ken Kawan Soetanto.

This seminar was organized by the APU Indonesian Society (APU Ina) in collaboration with the Indonesian Student Association in Japan (PPIJ) and RCAPS.

Former APU president, Professor Monte CASSIM opened the proceedings as he shared his experiences of working in Indonesia with the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD).

Following the opening address, holder of four PhDs from prominent Japanese universities Dr. Soetanto then inspired the audience with a passionate keynote speech under the title “Because Of You The World is Difference” which focused on the importance of education in Indonesia’s future development. Dr. Soetanto then gave the audience a few words of advice, “Never forget to set yourself goals and remember that our combined efforts can change Indonesia for the better”.

The seminar then continued with a panel discussion by Associate Professor at the Kyoto University Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Masaaki OKAMOTO and Kyushu International University Associate Professor Satomi OGATA. The lively discussion looked at a range of issues such as the balance of power in Indonesian politics and the empowerment of females in Islamic Indonesia.

Looking back on the event, seminar organisation team representative Iqra Anugrah (APS3, Indonesia) said,”We were glad to see so many students, faculty members and other elements of the APU community from Indonesia and around the world actively participate in this seminar. We hope that this kind of event serves as a stepping stone toward further student-initiated academic activities at APU.”

*The Ritsumeikan Center for Asia Pacific Studies (RCAPS) was established in July 1996 with a mission to promote and foster research into the multifaceted developments and challenges that face the Asia Pacific region in the 21st Century. RCAPS seminars are held regularly at which lecturers from both on and off-campus are invited to share research findings in the field of Asia Pacific Studies.

Reporter, Student Press Assistant, Virgi Agita Sari (APM3, Indonesia)

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News : Grand Performance wraps-up Indonesian Week with a Blast

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rom June 29 to July 3, 2009, Indonesian Week, the third installment to the AY2009 Spring Semester Multicultural Weeks, was held. Indonesian culture was introduced through a range of events such as Indonesian film showings, traditional handicrafts and folk costume displays.

On the evening of Friday, July 3 2009, the Indonesian Week Grand Performance marked the end of Indonesian Week. It was held at APU Millennium Hall. People wishing to secure a seat formed a long queue in front of Millennium Hall that eventually reached the AP House pedestrian bridge.

Nevertheless, the 2-hour performance turned out to be well worth while queuing for, as the audience enjoyed a range of Indonesian singing, bands, dances and fashion shows, which were creatively interwoven into a flash-back story of a grandmother reminiscing her youth. The concept of Indonesian Week 2009 was different from previous Indonesian Weeks, and came about not only through the hard work of the core Indonesian Week Executive Committee, but also by the enthusiasm of all students who shared in the vision to make it a success.

After the performance there was a short encore performance of “Dangdut” in front of the Millennium Hall as a bonus for the audience, and everyone joined in to dance to the music.

The leader of Indonesian Week, Iqra Anugrah (APS2, Indonesia), commented, “Being one of the organizers for Indonesian Week was really an unforgettable experience. I faced a lot of challenges and difficulties during this whole process, but on the other hand I also found many people who were willing to help us and that is why we could succeed. It is really satisfying when I see how this event has met people’s expectations”.

Indonesian Week was an opportunity for Indonesia to be showcased around the campus and for non-Indonesians to become more familiar with Indonesian culture.

*Multicultural Week is sponsored by the Nakajima Foundation

Reporter, Student Press Assistant (SPA): NUGROHO Katarina Marsha Utama(APM3, Indonesia)

http://www.apu.ac.jp/home/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1312